The Reunion
by Thn0715
Summary: After eight long months, the Foyet ordeal is brought to a close and father and son are reunited. As always, sadly, I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.
1. Father and Son

**A/N: Hello everyone! I've had this story playing in my head for a while now and I finally got it written. I hope you all enjoy this. I should probably say that I began writing this before Hotch handed his position to Morgan, so for this story Hotch is still the Unit Chief. Please let me know what you think. Like it, great! Hate it, please tell me why! Happy reading! As always, sadly, I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.**

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He stood, oblivious to everyone else around him, staring down at the lifeless body of George Foyet. He could hear the mumblings of his fellow FBI agents, local police, and medical personnel, but the only words that broke through clearly were, "he's dead. It's over." The comforting hand of his mentor on his back brought him back to the here and now.

"Aaron," Rossi uttered, looking with concerned eyes at his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Is this really over?" Hotch breathed, never taking his eyes off his tormentor.

"It's really over," Rossi smiled.

Finally, Hotch drew his eyes away from Foyet and looked at Rossi, who gave him a reassuring nod. That was all Hotch needed to snap himself back to reality and remember what the death of George Foyet actually meant. He quickly scanned the room and found US Marshal Sam Kassmeyer standing in the doorway with two other US Marshals. Their eyes met and they wasted no time meeting each other half way.

"Sam, take me to my son."

"I just got off the phone with my team. They are about three hours away. They're bringing him to you at the BAU."

Hotch took a deep breath, the first real, true, relaxing deep breath he'd taken in eight months.

"I don't know how to thank you," he said.

"I told you we would protect him as if he was our own. Seeing that little boy back in his father's arms is all the thanks I need. Go back to the BAU, Aaron. Finish the paperwork. Put this case to rest for good. Your son will be here before you know it. I'll bring him to you myself."

The two men shook hands.

"Thank you."

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Back at the BAU, the team wasted no time in getting to work on all the paperwork and reports that had to be finished to finally put Foyet to rest forever. Hotch wrote so fast his left hand started to cramp. Rossi was writing just as fast in his office. The others raced to be the first to get their finished reports to their boss. When everything was finished, signed off on, turned in, and filed away, Aaron Hotchner still had about an hour to wait before Marshal Kassmeyer would arrive with Haley and Jack. He stared through his office window at his team in the bullpen and realized none of them were leaving. The soft knock on his door surprised him.

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, Prentiss," he replied. "Did you need something?"

"Thought you could use some coffee," she said, handing him a navy blue FBI mug.

"Thanks," he smiled as he walked to his door and accepted the gesture.

They walked onto the platform between the two offices overlooking the bullpen, where they were joined by Rossi.

"You guys don't have to stick around, you know," Hotch said.

"Yeah, we know," replied Morgan from his desk directly below them. Hotch looked down at him. Morgan, Reid, JJ, and Garcia were gathered around his desk. Hotch started to speak but Morgan cut him off.

"Let me explain something to you," he began. "We're a family, Hotch. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us." Hotch glanced over at Rossi, who had said those same exact words to him just a few months before while they were waiting in a stakeout van in Commack, New York. Morgan noticed Rossi smirk and kept speaking. "You're not the only one who needs to see this to its end. None of us are going anywhere until we see our favorite four-year-old back in his daddy's arms, you understand?"

Hotch chuckled, looked down, and gave a nod to Morgan. He finished his coffee and sat the mug on the railing. Six sets of eyes were on him. He could feel them. He took a deep breath.

"I know I've been a hard ass lately. Well, more so than usual anyway." He heard some chuckles from the four sitting below him. "I'm…" He struggled finding the right words. "I'm not very good at letting people in or handling things that I can't fix." He rubbed the back of his neck. Admitting all of this out loud was a lot harder than he could have imagined. "But I hope you guys know how much I've appreciated what you've all done over the last eight months. I mean that."

"I bet that was hard," joked Morgan.

"You have no idea," rebuffed Hotch.

For the first time in a long time, the entire team was laughing. Things were finally starting to feel like they were getting back to normal. They were laughing so hard they didn't hear the elevator doors open. But they heard that little voice.

"Daddy!"

One look was all it took, and Aaron Hotchner flew down the stairs and dropped to his knees as 35 pounds of Jack Hotchner flew into his arms. "Oh, God," Aaron shakily whispered as Jack's tiny arms latched around his father's neck so tightly that Aaron almost couldn't breathe. And that was okay. It was perfect. At that moment, nothing else existed except father and son. After several moments Jack loosened his grip and looked up at his dad.

"Are you crying?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah, buddy," he sniffled.

"Why?"

"Because I really, really missed you a lot. And I'm really happy that you and your mom are home and I get to see you again."

"I missed you, too."

Hotch ruffled his son's hair. "I love you so much, buddy."

"I love you too, daddy," Jack said as he tightened his grip once more.

Hotch finally stood up, bringing the boy up with him. He wiped the tears off his face and looked around the room. Every person had tears streaming down their faces, including Derek Morgan and David Rossi. Aaron put his arm around Haley and hugged her tightly. "Welcome home," he whispered in her ear. She smiled back at him and hugged him tighter.

"What do you say, buddy? You ready to go home?"

"Yeah!"

As they headed for the elevators, Rossi called out to Hotch.

"I know you're the boss, but I'm playing my seniority card on you right now," he said with as much authority as he could muster. "I don't want to see your face in this office for at least the next two weeks, you understand me?"

Hotch chuckled, nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir."

"And Hotch."

"Yeah?"

Rossi gave him a big smile. "Now, it's over."

Hotch gave a long, appreciative look at his team, turned to shake the hand of Marshal Kassmeyer, and the Hotchners headed home.


	2. He's Very Real

**A/N: Hi again! Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this little adventure. Hope you enjoy the next installment! And a very special thanks to TN, my Hotch Twin, for reading over this story and editing it for me. You are awesome in many, many ways! And now, here's chapter two!**

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As they pulled into Haley's driveway, Hotch glanced into the back seat at his sleeping four-year-old and then looked back at Haley.

"I hope you know I'm gonna be camping out on your couch for a little while."

She chuckled. "I imagined as much."

Hotch got out and unbuckled Jack from his car seat, gently picking him up so as not to wake him. He took Haley's bag as she got Jack's and they made their way inside. Despite his best efforts, Jack woke up. He was a little scared at first, not realizing where he was. Hotch could feel him tense.

"You okay, pal?"

Hearing his daddy's voice made him immediately relax. "Are we home?"

"Yep."

"Cool!"

Haley laughed out loud. "Yeah, he's been waiting for this."

"I bet," Hotch added as they made their way inside.

"I'm hungry," Jack said.

"How does pizza sound?"

"Yeah! Please, Mom? Can we?"

"Sounds good to me," Haley answered.

"Why don't you two get settled back in and I'll call and order?"

Haley took their bags and she and Jack made their way upstairs. Hotch watched from the living room with only one thought playing through his mind. _Thank you, God_.

After dinner, a very sleepy Jack climbed into his dad's lap. Hotch laid on the couch so Jack could stretch out across his chest while Haley made several phone calls to let family and friends know she and Jack were back home safe. Two hours later, Haley returned to the living room to find Jack sound asleep with his head on Aaron's left shoulder and his arm wrapped around his neck, and Aaron's arms wrapped securely around his son. Aaron didn't hear her come in. He was lost in his own thoughts.

"Hey."

He didn't respond at first.

"Aaron."

Hearing his name brought him out of his thoughts. "Yeah," he whispered.

"Why don't you let me take him up to bed?"

He shook his head. "That's okay. He's fine here."

"He's been on top of you for hours. He's got to be getting pretty heavy."

"I'll be a little stiff in the morning, but that's okay. I've got him."

His grip around Jack tightened ever so slightly, but Haley noticed. She looked warily at her ex-husband.

"Are you okay, Aaron?"

He took a shaky deep breath and spoke so softly she barely heard him. "I'm afraid to let him go."

Her gaze changed from wary to thoughtful as she watched him hold his son even tighter.

"I'm afraid if I let him go he'll disappear and this won't be real." He choked back tears. "It will just be another nightmare."

Though she'd had Jack with her every day, the last eight months had been difficult for her. Now, she realized, they must have been absolute hell for him. Haley took the blanket off the top of the couch and draped it over them. She sat on the floor next to the couch, ran her fingers through Jack's hair and rested her hand on his back.

"I promise you, Aaron. He's very real."

He turned his gaze from his son to Haley.

"I'm so sorry about all of this."

"I guess we have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

"Yeah, but not tonight," Aaron responded tiredly. "I just want to enjoy this right here. I was starting to feel like I would never see him again."

One loose tear slid down his cheek. Haley reached up and wiped it away, then wiped away her own. Seeing him in such agony now was heartbreaking. Especially considering that his agony eight months earlier must have been 10 times worse when he had to say goodbye to Jack. Finally taking in his appearance she realized he probably hadn't slept through the night since.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Try to get some sleep. He's not going anywhere. I promise."

He kissed his son's head and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Haley," he uttered, and sleep found him quickly.

She stayed seated on the floor watching them and before she knew it she, too, was asleep.


	3. Bad Dreams

**A/N: Hello again my friends! Thanks to all who have reviewed/alerted/favorited this story. It is very much appreciated! For this chapter, I have to mention that I do not own Cars, Lightning McQueen or Mater. I just needed to borrow them for just a bit! And I should dedicate this little portion to my buddy, Trips. We had a "Cars" conversation not too long ago and that's the first thing I thought of when I needed something cute for our favorite four-year-old! Soooo.... Thanks Trips!!!**

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Hotch had always been a light sleeper. Even as a kid, even more so as an adult. And considerably lighter since Foyet's attack. So he wasn't surprised to find himself awake at 3:00 am. What did surprise him was the reason he was awake…a very tiny whimper. He heard it again and realized it was coming from his little boy still snuggled against his chest. Then he felt a small hand clutch at his shirt and it hit him. Jack was having a nightmare. He tilted his head to look at his son. His little brow was furrowed, the same as his own did when he had nightmares. _I hope his aren't as bad as mine_, he thought as he began to rub a soothing hand up and down his back and held him tightly.

"It's okay, buddy," he whispered over and over again in Jack's ear. "It's okay. I'm right here. You're okay. It's just a dream. It can't hurt you. Daddy's here. You're okay."

Jack's hand relaxed a little. Then he woke up and softly began to cry.

"Shh, it's okay," Aaron whispered. "I've got you. You're okay."

He held him tightly and rubbed his back until Jack's tears subsided.

"That was a pretty scary dream, huh?"

Jack sniffled and nodded.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Jack shook his head.

"How about a glass of milk? Would that make you feel better?"

Jack thought for a second, then nodded, still not relinquishing the hold he had on his daddy. Aaron sat up, careful not to wake Haley, who had fallen asleep with her head resting against the foot of the couch. He slipped off the couch and carried Jack to the kitchen.

Jack sat at the table, never taking his eyes off his dad, while Aaron poured two glasses of milk and sat down next to him. Aaron watched as Jack chugged half the glass and wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve. The same thought kept playing over and over in his mind. _I can't believe you're really here_.

Haley woke up still sitting on the floor with an awful crick in her neck. She noticed the empty couch and felt a bit of nervousness begin to build, until she noticed the soft glow of the light emanating from the kitchen. _Jack must have had another nightmare_, she thought, as she got up and went to the doorway, stopping just outside so as not to interrupt.

"You feel better now?"

"Yeah."

"You want to tell me about your dream now?"

Jack looked down at the table and shook his head. Aaron knew there was only one way he could get his son to open up.

"You know, I have bad dreams sometimes, too."

Jack looked up, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. Some of them are pretty scary, too."

"But you're not scared of anything!"

"Oh yes I am," Aaron said. _More than you could possibly imagine_.

"Like what?"

"Well, like all this time that I couldn't see you. I was afraid of something happening to you and me not being there to protect you. Or not being able to protect your mom."

Jack watched his father's face, then looked back down at the table. _Four-year-olds pick on so much more than people realize_, thought Hotch, watching the wheels turning in his son's head.

"My dream was about you," he finally mumbled. "I wanted to see you when you were hurt and they wouldn't let me."

"That must have been hard, huh?"

"Yeah. And I wanted to go home."

"But you couldn't?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the important thing is we're both here now and we can see each other all we want, right?"

"Yeah." That finally elicited a smile from Jack.

"I know dreams can be pretty scary sometimes, but just remember that they're not real and they can't hurt you, okay?"

"Okay," Jack said as he climbed back into Aaron's lap. Haley smiled as she finally entered the room.

"You boys okay in here?"

"Yeah, we're okay now. Jack had a bad dream, but we talked about it and he's feeling a little better now, right?"

"Right," Jack answered.

Haley smiled at Jack and ruffled her son's hair. "It's really late. You should try to go back to sleep, little man."

"Okay."

Hotch put him down and the three of them walked up the stairs to Jack's room. Everything was just how he'd left it eight months earlier. Jack climbed into his bed, snuggled his head against his Lightning McQueen pillow, and clutched his favorite plush Mater truck to his chest. They each kissed his forehead, and before they even exited the room, Jack was sound asleep.


	4. It's Not Your Fault

**A/N: Hello again friends! Just a quick thanks once again to those of you who have reviewed/alerted/favorited this story. Glad you are enjoying it!**

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Hotch and Haley went back downstairs and sat at the kitchen table.

"How long has he been having nightmares?"

Haley sighed. This was one conversation she was hoping not to have. "They were bad right after your attack. When he couldn't see you. He couldn't see that you were really okay. They got better after a little while, but he still has them from time to time."

Hotch sighed deeply shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," he uttered. "I brought all of this on."

"Aaron, this wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was. I let George Foyet get to me in Boston. I made it personal. He made me pay for it. Even now that he's dead, he's still making me pay for it."

"Aaron…"

"No, Haley. Because of me, you and Jack were taken away from everything you know and love with no guarantee that you would ever come back to it. I honestly didn't think I would ever see either of you again. My son is having nightmares because of it. Your life was turned completely upside down. How do I not blame myself for that?"

Haley thought for a moment. She needed to choose her words carefully to make him understand she didn't blame him for this. Not anymore, anyway.

"Aaron, I need you to listen to me. And I'm probably going to fumble this a little, so please let me finish before you say anything, okay?"

He sighed and nodded.

"When your agents came busting through my door, it scared the hell out of me. They were asking where Jack was, if there was anyone else in the house. It was all happening so fast that at first I didn't even realize you weren't with them. When I did realize it, the first thing I thought was that you were dead. That would be the only explanation for all this chaos around me and Jack. I felt sick, thinking I would have to explain to Jack that he would never see you again. Then Morgan said you were in the hospital and JJ explained about the attack. I've never felt so…. I don't know if confused is the right word. It was just too much too fast. I was relieved that you were alive, sad because you were hurt, terrified that all of you thought we were targets. It's exactly the thing I was always the most afraid of… someone using us to get to you. And I was so angry."

She paused to look up at him. She could see the guilt written all over his face. But as promised he wasn't interrupting. She couldn't stop yet. She had to make him understand. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I didn't know who to be angry at. I was mad at the government for letting Foyet escape to begin with. I was mad at you because I thought you must have done something to provoke him. I was mad at him for simply existing. And I was mad at myself because I didn't think I was strong enough to get us through this without any help. Once things settled down and I really got a handle on just how much danger we were really in, I knew there was only one person to be angry with."

She watched as he ran his hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was never going to forgive himself for this ordeal. Even though he'd done nothing wrong. She reached across the table and took his hand to get his attention.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? You didn't do this to us, Aaron. You didn't bring this on. We were all victims in this. There is only one person to blame, and thanks to you and your team, that person can't hurt us or anyone else ever again. Are you hearing me?"

He still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Look at me, Aaron." She waited. "Look at me."

Finally, he did.

"This was not your fault."

He gave her that slight half smile he'd become known for, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm so glad that you and Jack are back here and safe, and I'm thankful that you don't blame me for this, but it's going to be a while before I can forgive myself."

She knew she couldn't give him anything more than that, at least not tonight. Not until he had come to terms with the past eight months. She decided for one night to let it be. She got up to leave and stopped next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We're safe now, thanks to you and your team. And now our lives can get back to normal. I'm gonna try to get some sleep. You should try to get some sleep, too."

She turned to leave.

"Haley."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he said, keeping his eyes on the table in front of him instead of looking at her.

"For what?"

"Just… thank you."

She nodded. "Good night."

"Night."


	5. Aaron's Nightmare

**A/N: Greetings once again! I promise this story will get happy. But for now, we're going into the dark once again. Jack is not the only one having nightmares. Just how bad are Aaron's? Keep reading! And thank you again to those of you who have reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. You are the reason I keep writing! You have my gratitude!**

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Two hours later, at 5:00 am, Haley finally stopped staring at the ceiling in her room and resigned the fact that she was not getting any sleep tonight. She got up and went to the kitchen to make coffee, first stopping to peek in on her still soundly sleeping son.

While she was in the kitchen, a muffled noise coming from the living room caught her attention. She peeked her head through the doorway to see Aaron still sleeping on the couch. Something was wrong. As she moved closer, the sounds became louder. _Oh no_, she thought. _More nightmares_. She'd experienced Aaron's nightmares during their marriage; many times before. They were horrifying. But considering the terrible things he saw on a daily basis, that wasn't surprising.

But this was different, stronger. There was pain etched all across his face and every muscle in his body was tense. He was fighting something. Struggling against something. And losing. This nightmare was violent. He was groaning, whimpering, breathing hard. He was sweating profusely and shaking.

"Aaron," she nudged him gently. "Aaron, wake up."

"No, no," he mumbled, his eyes still clenched as tightly as possible. "Please. Please, no."

He was starting to hyperventilate. And he was flinching. The nightmare was getting worse.

"Aaron!" Haley shook him harder this time. "Come on, wake up! Aaron!"

"NO!" He jerked awake. His eyes scanned the room frantically while he struggled to catch his breath.

"Are you alright?" Haley looked terrified. He barely noticed.

"Where is he? Where's Jack?"

"He's upstairs in his room asleep."

Before she finished the statement, Aaron bolted off the couch and ran up the stairs.

"Aaron, wait!" She called and followed him.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she saw him very quietly closing Jack's door. He slid down the wall, braced his elbows on his knees, and buried his hands in his hair, clasping them behind his head. It was then she noticed how badly his hands were shaking. She sat against the wall opposite him and waited before speaking to give him a moment to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry," he uttered, trying to take deep breaths and slow down his speeding heart rate. "I'm sorry."

"What happened?" she whispered.

"It's Foyet's attack all over again, only I'm not the victim anymore." His voice was still unsteady. "Jack is. Foyet makes me watch. And I can't get to him. I can't help him. He cries and he begs for my help and I can't move. I can't do anything but watch. And there's so much blood."

His voice trailed off. Haley didn't say anything, but she had tears streaming down her face. He was starting to regain his control. The shaking was subsiding and his breathing was slowing down. He took a few calming deep breaths before continuing.

"I've had that nightmare so many times since the attack. Not being able to see him, to see for myself that he was okay just made it ten times worse. But now that I know he's okay and Foyet is dead, maybe it will finally stop." He finally looked up at her instead of staring at the floor. He could see the fear in her eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. Maybe now that both of you can see each other, both of your nightmares will stop."

"God, I hope so. Especially for him." He stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Maybe that will calm me down."

She nodded, and Aaron got up and made his way to the bathroom.

Aaron turned on the water as hot as he could stand it and stood under the shower. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, letting the steam fill his lungs, finally allowing himself to relax. Hot showers always had a calming effect on him. He let the water pound on his back and shoulders, relieving some of the tension from moments earlier, letting it wash away the pain, fear and uncertainty of the last eight months. He must have stood there for half an hour before the water began to cool down. Feeling a calm he hadn't felt in far too long, he washed up and got out. He dried off and pulled on a pair of jeans, and looked in the mirror.

Staring at the scars that adorned his chest and abdomen had become a sort of ritual for him. They were a reminder of the importance of life, the finality of death, and the dangers of mortality. Over time they had become less angry looking but they still held great significance. He traced the smallest of the nine with his thumb, the one just above his navel, and was struck with an idea. He put on his favorite FBI t-shirt and sat at the top of the stairs to wait for Jack to wake up.


	6. Scars and Healing

**A/N: Hello again! Thanks again for all of the reveiws! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this. I promise, there is some 'happy' coming. Once again, I should mention that I do not own "Mater". I just needed to borrow him for a few more scenes. I promise to return him to Radiator Springs as soon as we're finished with this little story. Anyway, here's the next installment. Enjoy!**

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Aaron was lost in thought when Jack plopped down beside him, still holding Mater close. He wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. Jack smiled big and leaned into his dad.

"Did you get some sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Jack looked up.

"Did you sleep?"

Aaron sighed. "Not much."

"Why?"

"I had a bad dream, too."

Jack climbed into his lap and hugged him tightly. Aaron couldn't help but chuckle.

"Thanks, buddy."

"Feel better now?"

"Yeah."

Jack smiled. Aaron thought this would be a good time to share his idea with his little man. Maybe this conversation would put an end to both of their nightmares.

"Mom and I were talking about your dream last night. She said you have that dream a lot."

Jack's smile faded a little and he looked down. Aaron brushed his hand through Jack's hair.

"Hey, it's okay. I have an idea that might help."

"Really?"

Aaron nodded.

"Do you remember last summer, you were running on the sidewalk and you fell down and scraped your knee?"

"Yeah."

"And it hurt pretty bad, right?"

"Yeah."

"And we brought you in the house and cleaned you up, and it hurt for a few days. But when it healed it didn't hurt anymore and you got that little scar."

Jack pulled up the left leg of his pajama pants and looked at the little round scar on his knee. Aaron pointed to it.

"That little scar right there. It's like a little reminder, and you can touch it, but it doesn't hurt anymore, right?"

Jack rubbed his little hand over the scar and smiled. "Right."

"Well, that's kind of what happened to me. I got hurt really bad. It hurt a lot. And I had to let the doctors fix me up. And just like your knee, it hurt for a while, but then it healed and it doesn't hurt anymore. And I got a scar, too. Just like you."

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm. You want to see?"

Jack looked apprehensively at him.

"It's okay. See." Aaron lifted up his shirt just enough to reveal the small scar above his navel. He held the shirt firmly in place to ensure that Jack would not see the other eight. Jack looked at it, then back at his dad.

"You can touch it. It doesn't hurt anymore. It's okay."

Jack was tentative at first before rubbing his tiny fingers over the scar. He looked up at Aaron, who gave him a reassuring smile and a nod.

"See. I'm okay. Just like you. We're both okay."

Jack smiled big and gave his dad a huge hug. Aaron wrapped him up tightly.

"I love you, buddy."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Haley was in the living room drinking her coffee when she heard her son's hysterical laughter coming from upstairs. She came around the corner and looked up the stairs to see Aaron tickling Jack, and Jack rolling around on the ground trying to wiggle away, and both of them laughing their heads off. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Jack looked up when he heard her laughter. Aaron let up and Jack ran down the stairs, still laughing, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You look like you feel better."

"Yep! Daddy's okay, too."

She looked up at Aaron, who was grinning at the top of the stairs. "Good." She looked back at Jack. "You want pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yeah!" he excitedly answered and ran to the kitchen. Aaron came down the stairs, still breathing hard from laughing.

"What did you say to him?" she asked, smiling quizzically.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Just a little guy talk. That's all."

She chuckled and shook her head, knowing that was all he was going to say, and went to the kitchen. Aaron grinned and followed.


	7. Peace

**A/N: Well, we have reached the end of this little journey. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And I hope I have done the ending justice. Thank you all again to those of you who have favorited and alerted this story. And a very special thanks to those who took the time to review!!! It means more than you know! Thanks for reading and enjoy the ending! -Thn  
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Aaron stayed over for three days, and then decided to go back home and let Haley and Jack try to recapture some semblance of normalcy in their lives. Haley's mother and sister were coming to visit. Jack would be going back to school in a few days and he was excited to see his friends again. It was hard to say goodbye again, but much easier knowing that whenever he and Jack needed to see each other or talk to each other, they could. Aaron would be going back to work soon, too, and he assured Jack that even when he had to go out of town on a case, he would never go to sleep without calling him first. That was a promise he'd made to himself at the beginning of this ordeal…if he ever got Jack back, not a single day would go by that he didn't talk to him and tell him how much he loved him. He made the same promise to Jack before he left Haley's.

Back in his apartment, Hotch finally took the time to pack up all the Foyet case files that covered his table and boxed them up for good. Never again would he need to revisit that case or the horrors that it held. He replaced the files with the pictures of Jack that he'd packed up eight months earlier in an attempt to hide the painful reminders of loss from himself. He added the newest picture to the mix; a picture Haley had taken during that pancake breakfast when their little boy was finally genuinely happy for the first time in months.

As he finished packing up, his phone rang. He looked at the clock and knew immediately who would be on the other end, and a smile spread across his face. He picked up.

"Hey buddy."

"How did you know it was me?" Jack laughed.

"Just a hunch. You getting ready for bed?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

"Is Mater keeping you company?"

Aaron looked down at the little plush truck his son had snuck into his bag before he left Haley's. He'd kept it close every night.

"Yeah. He keeps me company every night. You sure you don't want him back?"

"No. I have another one!"

Aaron laughed. "Okay. Sleep tight, buddy. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy. Good night."

"Good night."

Hotch chuckled as he hung up the phone and looked at Mater. He would make it a point to never let his team know that he'd taken to sleeping with a stuffed toy every night. But at the same time, he was very pleased to know that every night since his "guy talk" with Jack, both Hotchners had slept through the night.

_THE END_


End file.
